Size 12

Good news. Today, I am wearing size 12 jeans for the first time ever in life. EV-ER!



If I remember correctly, when I was about 10 years old, I jumped from a size 14 in girls' to a size 14 in adults' sizes. Surprisingly even to myself, I'm not as excited as you'd think.

Anyway, I went to Old Navy yesterday on my lunch break and got a 12. I took the advice of my coworker and did some squats to break them in, and they fit like a glove this morning.

I'm about to hit up the track around my job for 3.1 miles. This will help me out so I can focus on the readings I have to do for homework lol. I know I work out a lot, but lately I've been having a lot of energy (although I've been sleepy as a mug!), so it helps me settle down.

Later, I'm gonna shoot for double Kazaxe. It didn't happen yesterday because it was mad crowded, so I didn't stay for the second one (I hate crowds, especially doing them alone!). As long as I can get a spot in the front, I'll stay tonight.

Ok about to run this 5K. I'll holla!

What's up with the dream jeans???

Something isn't adding up.

I bought my current dream jeans in February. They're a size 12. Right now, I'm (barely) wearing a size 14. It depends on the cut. Some fit like a glove, one pair I've had to shelve because it's hanging off my rear like the 16s were. I'm down to my last two pairs of wearable jeans. It's time to transition to the dream jeans, right?

Wrong. I still cannot get them up my thighs. This is insane. It took me like three weeks to get from a 14 to a 16. Why is it taking me almost three months to get into a 12? I know I've plateaued, but not that much!!!

When I put this status on Facebook, a friend explained to me how this could have happened. To paraphrase her, some jeans are for people with chicken legs and big behinds. I am the opposite. I have thunder thighs and no behind lol.

Plus, when I read the tag today, I learned these are low-rise skinny jeans. No wonder! Now I don't feel quite as bad.

To remedy the situation, I plan to go to Old Navy and buy a size 12. Maybe they'll be dream jeans, maybe I'll already be able to fit into them. I'll have to try them on and see. If I'm already in a 12, I'll also buy a 10 as something to shoot for.

Today is Day 7 of my 30-day challenge. I don't see much change in the pictures, but maybe I will if I put them side by side. I do feel the difference. The one on the left is Day 1, the one on the right is from today. Check it out:







I'm about to go out and walk my two miles before I do my homework. Later, double Kazaxe. Cool beans.

Day 6

So here's the deal...I'm doing this self-imposed 30 day challenge, right? Today is technically day 6. I was supposed to stick to the plan for 30 days, which meant running three days a week, running two days a week, Kazaxe five days a week, and sticking to my weight watchers plan.

Running: check
Walking: check
Kazaxe: check
Weight Watchers: *buzzer*

OMG this kid was just walking down the hallway talking about Krabby patties (from Spongebob). Sorry. Random.

Anyway, I've been so good with the working out, and even threw in a little bit of Powerflex for good measure. I was actually doing pretty well with the Weight Watchers, until the weekend, especially Saturday. Saturday, I had Chipotle. I had Rita's. I had mozzarella sticks. Insanity.

I cheated a little bit and hopped on the scale Saturday morning, because I needed motivation to go to the gym. My weight was way below what I expected. This made me happy, so I worked my booty off for three hours. Then, later, my friend and I went to Chipotle. Afterwards, I went to the gym with with my other friend and ran two miles. Then we were hungry, and decided to go to Fridays. I was going to be semi-good and just get breadsticks and diet coke, but we couldn't find anywhere to sit, so we went to Applebee's, which has even less selection for vegetarians (as if that's possible), so I ended up getting cheese sticks. For shame.

Yesterday, there was more of the same misbehavior. What's even worse was that yesterday was my built in chill day for the week (i.e. no working out). I cut out all the nonsense by 5 p.m.

Not surprisingly, I have lost weight since last week due to 4.5 days of sticking to the plan. However, I have gained like a pound and a half since Saturday. That's exactly why I need to stay off the scale until Mondays. While I should be happy with my weekly progress, I am pissed at myself, since I could have done so much better.

Today, I'm determined to make up for my slacking. Monday through Thursday are always easy, because I wake up, go to work, maybe go to class, then go to Kazaxe. It's a very simple routine. Friday, there is no Kazaxe to keep me occupied. I need to find another workout class to fill in the void.

Anyway, on the schedule for today, I'm planning to run a mile, then later, do Pumpaxe and then Kazaxe. Pumpaxe is the Kazaxe place's version of Powerflex lol. Instead of using free weights, we use resistance bands. It kicks my booty. Happy happy, joy joy.

Today's weight: 189.5
Total pounds down: 34.5
To 165: 24.5
To 139: 50.5
This week's goal: No fast food.

Aaaah!!!

I was just talking with a co-worker, and I made the sad realization that, since I started writing this blog two months ago, I have only had a net loss of three pounds!!! Time to step it up :)

Duuuude, where's my gut?

Woke up this morning, and noticed more body parts missing lol, namely, most of my gut! How this happened, I don't know...maybe it has been gone for a while, and I just caught on. It's funny, because I haven't quite wrapped my mind around the weight loss thus far. I've weighed well over 200 pounds for most of my life, and it doesn't seem to be real that I'm below that line.

I honestly don't know how I got to this point. It feels like time has flown by since I got on this fitness kick. I remember putting in work at the track. I remember all the Powerflex classes. I remember going to Kazaxe religiously. I remember the cleanses, the Slim Fast, everything. But when I look back, all that work seems so...easy. It was fun! I honestly think that's what made the difference this time.

Like I said, I've been self-conscious about my weight since I was three years old. It's not that anyone made me this way...it just happened. I've heard horror stories from my friends about how they were overweight as children, and had to worry about dieting early in life. It was never like that with me. As a kid, I was what I'd call "borderline heavy." I've always had a lot of muscle mass (I started lifting weights in the garage with my parents and older brother when I was 3 or 4), so the scale has never been reflective of what I look like.

I hit 100 pounds when I was 9 years old. I was also about five feet tall, so that wasn't much of an issue, but I was definitely on the thicker side. I blew up at 13...yadda yadda yadda...if you want the full version then go back and look at the introduction.

I just forgot my point. Oh yeah. I've been on the bigger side since I was a kid, so it's weird for me to not be as big. I'd say that now, I'm back to being "borderline heavy." I was here ten years ago, but it only lasted a month. Really, I haven't been consistently borderline heavy since I was maybe 12, 16 years ago. Wow, that made me feel really old just now.

I have a feeling that I'm going to be under 190 on Monday. This dieting/exercising thing must be becoming a way of life, because now it doesn't even feel like hard work. (This post is probably really redundant, because I walked away to get lunch, then came back...I'm too lazy to re-read everything I wrote lol.)

Anyway, I walked my two miles today. Tomorrow will be interesting. Powerflex, double Kazaxe, and maybe running a mile to make up for missing Wednesday. I might just push the mile to Sunday, since it's a day with absolutely no working out anyway. Meh, whatever.

Swamped

Hey...yesterday I couldn't write because I was swamped. I had a crucial paper due for school and I just got it out by the skin of my teeth. I feel a little more relaxed now, but not really because I still have mad stuff to do.

I wasn't able to run my 3 miles yesterday because I was just that busy. However, I did do Kazaxe after work. That was fun. As for the run, since I am giving myself two rest days per week, I'll probably do the three miles today, walk two tomorrow, and run one Saturday or Sunday.

I'm noticing more and more changes in my body. Earlier in my journey, the changes were dramatic. Like, I would go to sleep, and wake up and feel the burn! Then I'd notice a body part was missing (read: derriere). But now, I don't feel the burn quite as much (partially because I'm not pushing myself as hard, but mainly because I have less to lose). Don't get me wrong, I'm still working out at least an hour a day, five days a week. But it's not three hours lol.

Last night, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and, to my surprise, noticed that my upper back was getting mad definition! I was amazed, and a little worried that I looked like a female body builder (my FB buddies caught a glimpse of my mixed reaction). But it's all good in the hood. Next step: I want my two pack abs! Not a six pack because that's a little too much lol. A two pack will be just fine.

On the schedule today: run 3 miles, then Kazaxe. Woooooooo!!!!

30 Day Challenge

Yesterday, I went to the track and did my mile. I still have a lot of congestion in my lungs left over from being sick, so I couldn't breathe very well. I started out very strong, but then had to slow way down. Still, I was able to get a personal record on the mile. If I can maintain that pace, I'll be running a 5K in under 40 minutes. My next race is on May 16, and I'm very nervous. I'm not a big fan of racing, but it gives me a goal to work towards.

After running, I went to Kazaxe (what I mistakenly used to call Zumba). It was great, as usual. I'm starting to know the people really well over there. I may not know their names, but I have nicknames for everyone who I don't know lol. For example, there is Screaming Man, Girl with Nice Hair, Dude with Nice Thighs, etc. Lol I can stick with Kazaxe because it's as much a social event as it is a workout. I have about 6 or 7 friends who are there on any given day. I like to socialize lol.

Today, I've decided to put myself on a 30 day challenge. Given my month off due to illness and injury, I've gotten very accustomed to slacking off, watching TV, sleeping, and eating junk. It's hard to create good habits, but very easy to adopt bad ones. Surprisingly, my weight has remained pretty stable during this time, as I'm hovering around 190, give or take three pounds. Last week I was under by 1.5. This week, I'm +1. It's like a see-saw.

Well, anyway, I'm ready to break the plateau. I took a picture of myself in my pajamas today. My PJs consist of a skin-tight shirt and my old high school gym shorts. Here is Exhibit A.


It's not horrible, but it's not very pretty either lol. Mind you, this picture is without any support (read: bra). So meh...it's whatever.

Anyway, I've decided to try and stick to dieting and exercising for a full month, and see what changes. I'm hoping by this time next month to be somewhere around 180.

Today, I have my Weight Watchers microwavable meals for lunch and dinner. I'll get a little bit of school lunch, too, because I can cram it into my daily points. I'm going to walk two miles maybe around 10 am. I'm alternating the running and the walking so that I can save my knees, but still put some miles on my shoes.

By the way, I took this picture twenty minutes later, after I got dressed for work.



It's amazing how clothes and a bra will hide all the jigglies lol.

Happy to gain?

Today, I see that I've gained 2.5 pounds since last week, but that's not a big deal. I would have expected to gain more. When you go from practically not eating, to eating regularly, it's inevitable. Stupid strep.

When I hopped on the scale today, I was very surprised, because I felt bloated all weekend. I went out of town for a gig, and sampled all the regional food. Combine this with not working out, and bam...instant weight gain. That's why I'm very happy with just 2.5 pounds of damage. That's easy to take off.

Yesterday, at Zumba (or, as I have been corrected, "Kazaxe"), there was the monthly fundraiser with two hours of dancing. After an entire month of not working out (2 weeks because of knee issues, 2 weeks because of strep), I was dreading it, but I knew I had to do it to get back into the groove. It was so much fun!

Today, I'm going to take it easy...sorta (I go hard! lol). I'm just gonna do one mile on the track, which will be like 12 minutes or so. Then, an hour of Powerflex class, because my muscles are crappy right now. Then, an hour of Kazaxe. Now that I wrote it, that is a lot...two hours and twelve minutes...but it really doesn't feel like it. If you've been following the blog, you know that I was up to five miles before my injury (or, as I should say, causing my injury). So, one mile isn't so bad. Kazaxe is hard work, but it's playtime for me, since my homies are doing it with me. We have fun. Powerflex is also not so bad. I just hate the squats and lunges. Other than that, it's cool...I'll just take some weight off the bar today.

I think I'm going to try and start doing the track five days a week, but I'll alternate between running and walking. Tomorrow, I plan to walk two miles. Wednesday, I'll run 3.1. Thursday, I'll walk two. Friday, I run one. That's a pretty good plan, I think. I'll get in a 5K at least once a week that way.

I need to get more serious about the Weight Watchers plan. I usually do very well the first three or four days, then I end up winging it and doing whatever I want during the weekend. Bad, bad, bad Janexx.

Today's weight: 191
Total pounds down: 33
To 165: 26
To 139: 52
This week's goal: Break the damn plateau!

The Sagging Size 14s

My size 14s are now officially sagging. Am I dreaming?

I no longer have enough booty to fill up the seat of my pants. Why is it that when we lose weight, we lose it most quickly from the areas that we want to stay big? That's a shame.

If I could specify where I want to lose weight, I'd definitely take some off my calves, my inner thighs, my middle, and my arms. The rest can stay as is. I really don't want to lose any more weight from my face or neck, because Skeletor is not a good look for me.

I tried on my 12s today, and I can now pull them all the way up, but they seem like light years away from being able to be buttoned. In reality, I know they should be good in 5 or so pounds from now.

I have NEVER been in a size 12. EVER. I went straight from 14 in kids' to 14 in women's. So this is exciting.

I just had a class come in, and I lost my train of thought, so I'll end this here. Gotta finish my homework anyway. See you guys next time!

Wow!

It's been a very long time since I've written. As you can see, I wasn't kidding in the Introduction when I said that I'm no good at keeping a journal lol. I was doing pretty well for about a month there, blogging every day, sometimes two or three times a day. But eventually, I fell off the blogging wagon.

This pattern is repeatedly woven throughout my life. The most notable example is my approach to dieting and exercise. I've said before that I often have an all-or-nothing personality, meaning that I will do something (i.e. going to the gym) to such an extreme that I burn out and never set foot in a gym for months afterwards.

I'm just now breaking that pattern in terms of my journey to weight loss, but I really need to break it in all aspects of my life. However, in all fairness to myself, I have to say that burning out wasn't the only reason why I haven't written...

(1) This is gonna sound like a total cop-out, but I have been SWAMPED!!! The life of an entrepreneur is much busier than I ever expected. Juggling that with school, work, and working out has been hard.

(2) I keep injuring myself, so I can't work out as hard as I did before, which makes for boring blogging.

(3) I keep getting sick! Last week was particularly bad because I was running a high fever that would not break. The doctor thinks it's strep. I'm on antibiotics and back to work today for the first time in a week.

Thanks to my swollen throat, which made it painful to eat, I'm now officially back under 190. Yay! Thanks strep! (*sarcasm*) The downside is that I can't talk or hear very well, and every time I want to eat, I have to take a Tylenol first :(

Can't wait until my body gets itself together...ears, throat, and knees...so that I can start working out again. Gah!

Today's weight: 188.5
Total pounds down: 35.5
To 165: 23.5
To 139: 49.5